Prime Minister: Working Days

Lord Inglewood: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On how many days of each year since 1997 the Prime Minister of the day has been working; and, of these, on how many he has been abroad.

Baroness Amos: The Prime Minister's responsibilities are on a full-time basis throughout the year. I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given in another place by my right honourable friend the Prime Minister to the Member for Colchester (Mr Russell) on 3 February 2003, (Official Report, column 16W).
	Details of official overseas visits made by the Prime Minister during the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 2003 costing more than £500 are a matter of public record and are available in the Library of the House.
	Information on official overseas visits made by the Prime Minister for 2003–04 will be published as soon as possible after the end of the current financial year.

Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan Draft

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many times the publication of the Belfast metropolitan area plan draft has been postponed; and when it will be published.

Baroness Amos: The publication of the Belfast metropolitan area plan draft has been postponed on three occasions. When work began on the plan in January 2001, publication was programmed for December 2002. Publication was initially postponed until March 2003 to allow the research to be informed by the release of the 2001 Census data. Following further discussion with the six councils covered by the plan, it was agreed that publication should be delayed until September 2003 to allow them longer to consider and respond to the research which has been carried out. The third postponement was necessary to ensure that the Northern Ireland Housing Executive was given time to prepare a housing needs assessment to meet a new plan requirement introduced by draft Planning Policy Statement 12 Housing In Settlements.
	The draft plan is now programmed for publication in March 2004.

Northern Ireland: Planning Appeals

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In what circumstances the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment would feel it necessary to employ professional advocates at planning appeals commissions hearings.

Baroness Amos: The Department of the Environment's planning service would only feel it necessary to employ professional advocates in situations where specialist expertise would be required and where such expertise was not available within the department. The planning service does, however, as a matter of practice, use legal advisers in most non-routine hearings.

Government Bills: Hours Spent in Committee

Lord Jopling: asked the Leader of the House:
	Whether she will publish before the first day in Committee on the Hunting Bill a table showing the number of hours of consideration given to completed Committee stages of each government Bill in the current session.

Baroness Amos: The following table shows the number of hours spent in Committee in the House of Lords on each government Bill this Session.
	
		
			 Bill name (No of clauses(1), No of schedules) Hours in Committee of the Whole House 
			 Anti-Social Behaviour (71, 3) 15hrs 47mins 
			 Arms Control and Disarmament (Inspections) (3, 2) 14mins 
			 Communications (403, 19) 45hrs 16mins 
			 Community Care (Delayed Discharge etc) (17, 0) 11hrs 1min 
			 Courts (101, 7) 27hrs 3mins 
			 Criminal Justice (307, 32) 60hrs 2mins 
			 European Union (Accessions) (3, 0) 19mins 
			 Licensing (196, 8) 31hrs 21mins 
			 National Minimum Wage (Enforcement Notices)  (2, 0) 16mins 
			 Northern Ireland (Monitoring Commission) (10, 0) 1hr 37mins 
			 Northern Ireland Assembly (Elections and Periods of  Suspension) (7, 0) 15mins 
			 Northern Ireland Assembly Elections Bill (2, 0) 43mins 
			 Regional Assemblies (Preparations) (29, 1) 21hrs 41mins 
			 Sexual Offences (128, 5) 31hrs 21mins 
		
	
	
		
			 Bill name (No of clauses(1), No of schedules) Hours in Grand Committee 
			 Crime (International Co-operation) (94, 5) 17hrs 7mins 
			 Electricity (Misc Provisions) (5, 0) 2hrs 48mins 
			 European Parliament (Representation) (25, 1) 99mins 
			 Extradition (213, 1) 34hrs 46mins 
			 Fire Services (2, 0) 10hrs 47mins 
			 Health (Wales) (10, 4) 1hr 55mins 
			 Local Government (128, 7) 30hrs 9mins 
			 Police (Northern Ireland) (28, 3) 4hrs 46mins 
			 Railways and Transport Safety (119, 7) 7hrs 46mins 
			 Waste and Emissions Trading (35, 0) 8hrs 5mins 
			 Water (97, 9) 27hrs 27mins 
		
	
	Clause count represents the number of clauses in the Bill when it was introduced in to the House of Lords
	NB. These lists do not include Bills where the Committee stage was negatived. Nor do they include Bills which have not yet completed their Committee stage in this House.

Prisoners: Voting Rights

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether denying prisoners the right to vote affects their ability to persuade Ministers of the Crown and those responsible for the Prison Service to improve the conditions in which they are imprisoned; and
	Whether denying prisoners the right to vote amounts to an additional punishment; and whether this is compatible with Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as interpreted by the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: It has been the view of successive governments that prisoners convicted of a crime serious enough to warrant imprisonment have lost the moral authority to vote. The working party on electoral procedures, which examined and reviewed all electoral arrangements after the general election held in 1997, published its findings on 19 October 1999. It could find no reason to change the existing system in which convicted prisoners found guilty of a crime serious enough to warrant imprisonment are denied the right to vote for the duration of their imprisonment.
	Prisoners have a variety of ways in which they can express their views about conditions in prison, including by writing to their Member of Parliament—and many do so.
	Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights covers the rights of the individual to be involved in public affairs and to vote in periodic free elections without unreasonable restrictions. The covenant has not been incorporated into English law, but the UK is signed up to the covenant.
	Parliament has decided that convicted prisoners have forfeited their right to have a say in the way the country is governed for the period during which they are in custody. This temporary disenfranchisement pursues a legitimate aim and is proportionate, and is considered a reasonable restriction within the terms of Article 25. It does not, in our view, affect the substance of Article 25, which is concerned with universal franchise and the free expression of the people in the choice of legislature. Long-standing precedent set by the European Court of Human Rights upholds that certain sections of society, including convicted prisoners, can be excluded from voting.

Violent Crime: Convenience Stores

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What statistics they have on violent attacks on people who work in convenience stores for each of the last three years and the current year to date; what is the average time taken by police forces to respond to emergency calls from them; whether they are content with current response times; and what action they are taking to work with retailers to combat violent crime in their stores.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The requested information on the levels of violent attacks on people who work in convenience stores and the time taken by police to respond to these is not collected centrally.
	The Government do take crime against the retail sector very seriously and the Business Crime Section within the Home Office is focusing on this issue. Advice on reducing violent crime has been provided by the Home Office in a booklet for retailers entitled Don't discount crime, which covers all aspects of crime prevention and includes a section on keeping safe. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published Work-related violence: managing the risk in smaller businesses on 9 July 2002. The publication includes 10 case studies on how some businesses have reduced the risk of violence to staff. It has also published specific guidance for the retail sector, called Preventing Violence to Retail Staff. This provides practical guidance for retailers and their staff on how the problems and causes of violence might be tackled. It sets out an approach that can be adopted as everyday practice.
	These issues can only be addressed by a joint approach and the Government are committed to working with the retail industry to combat all types of crime against the industry. An example of this is the DTI-sponsored Retail Strategy Group, comprising members from both the public and private sectors, which has a specific sub-group that includes officials from the Home Office, DTI and Small Business Service to look at crime issues.
	Retail crime reduction partnerships, which exist in many town and shopping centres, enable members to share information and exclude offenders, including potentially violent offenders, from their stores. The Home Office paid for a consultant to work with the British Retail Consortium over a two-year period to develop these partnerships, many of which are supported by the government offices in the regions.
	The Home Office has also provided £15 million over three years to help small shops in deprived areas, many of which are convenience stores, with security.

Anti-social Behaviour

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether diet is a key ingredient in reducing anti-social behaviour; and, if so, whether they will introduce supplements in the prisoners' diet containing essential vitamins, minerals and fatty acids.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Home Office has not commissioned any research into the impact of dietary supplements on anti-social behaviour.

Mr Hadi Soleimanpour

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Home Secretary has yet made a decision on whether or not to issue an order to proceed under the Extradition Act 1989 against the Iranian ex-ambassador to Argentina, Mr Hadi Soleimanpour.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Argentinean request for Mr Soleimanpour's extradition remains under consideration. Bow Street Magistrates' Court has set 23 October as the date by which a decision must be reached as to the issue of an order to proceed.

Police: Sexually Discriminatory Behaviour

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps are being taken to discourage sexually discriminatory behaviour by male police officers towards women police officers and members of the public, in light of the 1997–98 and 2002–03 reports of the Police Complaints Authority.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Any sexually discriminatory behaviour such as that highlighted in the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) reports would breach the code of conduct for police officers as set out at annex 1 of the Police (Conduct) Regulations 1999. The code outlines the principles which should guide police officers conduct and includes the following:
	"Politeness and tolerance
	Officers should treat members of the public and colleagues with courtesy and respect, avoiding abusive or deriding attitudes or behaviour. In particular, officers must avoid: favouritism of an individual or group; all forms of harassment, victimisation or unreasonable discrimination; and overbearing conduct to a colleague, particularly to one junior in rank or service".
	Any breach of the principles in the code of conduct may result in an officer facing misconduct proceedings under the Police (Conduct) Regulations 1999, which, in the most serious cases, could involve dismissal.
	Under the new complaints system, which will come into force on 1 April 2004, it is more likely for conduct of this nature, whether or not a complaint is made, to fall to be recorded and referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and, in the more serious cases, can be investigated by the IPCC.
	Furthermore, the Home Office is working very closely with the Women's National Commission and the Association of Chief Police Officers on a number of projects designed to discourage sexually discriminatory behaviour by male police officers towards women police officers and members of the public. These include:
	The Gender Agenda—This document, to which the Home Office is a signatory, was produced two years ago by a number of groups with a stake in women's issues in the Police Service. It contains suggestions on what the police and individuals can do to improve the current situation. Advances have been made in a number of areas, including training methods, delivery and recruitment.
	Seen but not heard: Women's Experience of the Police report—This report was partially funded by the Home Office and was designed to look at gender issues, particularly how the police engage with different communities.

Firearms: National Register

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the answer by the Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 20 May (HL Deb, col. 685) what progress has been made in the establishment of a national register, as required by Section 39 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997; whether the project became operational on 31 August 2003 as predicted in the answer; and, if so, how many police forces are now able to use it.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The requirement under Section 39 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 for a central register of all persons who have applied for and been granted or refused a firearm or shot gun certificate is being taken forward as part of a national firearms licensing management system. I understand from the Police Information Technology Organisation that it expects to finalise the contract for taking this forward in the next few days. The prediction was and still is for the project to be operational by 31 August 2004 (not 2003) and no forces are yet able to use it.

Interfaith Consultations

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What persons and organisations are involved in the Government's interfaith consultations being conducted by Ms Fiona Mactaggart MP; and on what policy issues they have been invited to comment.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given by my honourable friend Fiona Mactaggart to the honourable Member for Rhondda (Mr Bryant) in another place on 30 June 2003, Official Report, column 12W, which sets out the membership of the steering group which is carrying out the present review of the Government's Interface with the Faith Communities. In addition, my honourable friend is holding meetings with organisations which have a relevant perspective on the review but are not represented on the steering group, for instance the National Secular Society and the British Humanist Association.
	The review is concerned with developing effective processes for consulting the faith communities and is not itself considering any specific policy issues. However, we are considering the feasibility of carrying out a pilot consultation exercise in a particular locality, which would test the effectiveness of various consultative mechanisms through consulting local faith communities on a developing area of Home Office policy.

Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001: Retention of Communications Data

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether it is their intention to modify the code of practice on the retention of communications data provided by the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 in response to future developments in communications technology.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Yes, if appropriate. Section 103(8) of the Act provides for the code to be revised in whole or part as necessary.

Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001: Retention of Communications Data

Viscount Bridgeman: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What period they think is sufficient to review the voluntary code of practice on the retention of communications data under Part 11 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 before concluding that it is necessary to make mandatory directions; and why that period is sufficient.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: No final decision has yet been taken as it will depend on the level of take-up for the voluntary code.

Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001: Retention of Communications Data

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the legal risk to communications service providers of voluntarily retaining data under Part 11 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 makes the draft order to introduce a voluntary code of practice currently before both Houses unworkable; and whether they intend to invoke their reserve power provided in Section 104 of that Act.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: We have sought to provide reassurance to communications service providers on this point, but it is ultimately a matter for them to assess the extent of any legal risk entailed in complying with the code of practice. We will keep this under review.

Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001: Retention of Communications Data

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the current arrangements for data retention under Part 11 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 are inadequate for national security purposes; if so, in what ways; whether they consider that the voluntary approach proposed will be applied consistently across the industry; and if there is no consistent approach, what implications this may have for the value of the whole exercise.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: We are so far satisfied, but will review these arrangements in the light of take-up of voluntary retention by communication service providers. The reserve powers under Section 104 will be invoked if necessary.

Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001: Retention of Communications Data

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made to determine that the proposals in respect of Part 11 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 for the code of practice on data retention are necessary, proportionate and justified as required by the European Convention on Human Rights.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: This was set out in the consultation paper on a code of practice for voluntary retention of communications data published in March 2003. Having given careful consideration to the responses received, we remain satisfied that our proposals satisfy the necessity and proportionality requirements of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001: Retention of Communications Data

Viscount Bridgeman: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What funds they have set aside to meet their commitment to reimburse communications service providers for the additional costs they will incur in respect of Part 11 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 if they voluntarily retain data under the proposed code of practice.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: £4 million is available this year. Future provision will be reviewed in the light of take-up of the code of practice on voluntary data retention by communications service providers.

Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001: Retention of Communications Data

Viscount Bridgeman: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they can effectively review the voluntary code of practice on the retention of communications data in respect of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 without first having carried out an assessment of the anticipated additional protection it will provide for national security.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: We remain satisfied with the review criteria set out in the consultation paper on a code of practice for voluntary retention of communications data. These matters were fully considered and debated by Parliament during the passage of the ATCS Act.

Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001: Retention of Communications Data

Viscount Bridgeman: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proposals they have to resolve the disparity by which communications data retained under arrangements made under Part 11 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 for the purposes of safeguarding national security and preventing or detecting related crime will be available on demand to a wide range of public authorities for much wider purposes, including the prevention or detection of any crime, protecting public health and collecting taxes.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: We are satisfied that the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 provides for lawful acquisition by public authorities of communications data only where this is demonstrably necessary and proportionate.

Asylum Applications: Delays

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in apologising for the delay in resolving an application for asylum which has been outstanding for two years (in correspondence PO 10542/3), and adding that some cases are taking longer to process at this time of heightened security, the Minister of State at the Home Office, Ms Beverley Hughes MP, meant that all cases were taking longer to process, or all cases from particular countries, or individual cases where the applicant was considered to be a potential security risk.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My honourable friend, the Minister of State at the Home Office, was referring to particular cases.

Basic Disclosures

Lord Tomlinson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will make public the responses to the consultation paper seeking views on whether applications for basic disclosures should be routed through registered bodies.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: On 9 April the Home Office issued a consultation paper seeking views on the independent review team's recommendation (Official Report, Commons, 27 February 2003, col. 33–36WS) that applications for basic disclosures should be routed through registered bodies. The consultation period closed on 30 June; 352 responses were received. I have today placed in the Library an analysis of those responses. We will consider carefully the views expressed in response to the consultation before deciding how best to proceed with the introduction of the basics service.

Extradition: Draft Code of Practice

Baroness Hilton of Eggardon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will make public the responses to the draft code of practice on the use of police powers under the Extradition Bill.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: I am today drawing the House's attention to the publication of the responses received by the Home Office to its consultation on a draft extradition code of practice.
	The draft code of practice, which sets out the application and operation of police powers under Part 4 of the Extradition Bill, was published on 9 June 2003 and comments on the draft were invited by 8 September 2003.
	Twenty-nine responses were received in total. Twenty-six authors have given permission for their responses to be made public and these are now available in the House Library and can also be viewed on the Home Office website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crimpol/oic/extradition/bill/documents.html.
	We will be publishing our response to the representations in due course.

Millennium Dome

Baroness Blatch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	To whom English Partnerships is accountable for management of the Dome.

Lord Rooker: English Partnerships is a non-departmental public body sponsored by and accountable to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. In this role the office has an agreed framework within which English Partnerships is accountable to the office for the discharge of its financial and management responsibilities, such as the management of the Dome. In addition, English Partnerships is accountable to Parliament by statute for all resources under its control.

Millennium Dome

Baroness Blatch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	From whom English Partnerships derives authority for expenditure on security and maintenance of the Dome; and whether the expenditure is subject to any limits.

Lord Rooker: English Partnerships (EP) owns land on the Greenwich peninsula and the Dome itself. It is therefore responsible for the maintenance and security of the Dome.
	EP is required to expend the minimum level of resources needed to maintain the Dome for its intended purpose. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister approves the overall level of expenditure for maintenance and security. The Dome is used for a number of one-off events throughout the year and the income generated is used to reduce the management and maintenance costs to EP.

Millennium Dome

Baroness Blatch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much income, after the deduction of related expenditure, has been generated from events held at the Dome since its closure to the public in January 2001.

Lord Rooker: Since its closure to the public in January 2001, a net income of £918,000, excluding VAT, has been generated from commercial events held at the Dome. The first such event was held on 31 December 2001—none was possible before then due to the decommissioning activity at the Dome.
	A number of other events of public benefit have been held in the Dome. These have been agreed by English Partnerships on the basis of no income, because of their nature and the public benefits delivered, but in all cases English Partnerships' costs have been fully covered by the event organisers. Examples include the London Respect festival, AEG's roller hockey community day, and other charity events.

Court Service: Staffing

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are satisfied with the present levels of staffing throughout the Court Service; and if not, what steps they are taking to address the issue.

Lord Filkin: Overall the staffing levels across the Court Service are adequate to meet the delivery targets of the agency.
	Crown Courts have seen staff allocation increased in recent years due to additional sitting days. The average number of full-time equivalent persons employed in Crown Courts rose by 41 between 2000–01 and 2002–03.
	County Courts have seen a decrease of 148 full-time equivalent persons between 2000–01 and 2002–03. This reduction was in line with estimated savings from enhancements to IT systems.
	Although overall staffing levels are adequate there are local issues from time to time, which can create short-term difficulties.

Fines: Enforcement

Baroness Hilton of Eggardon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What their plans are for measuring improvements in fine enforcement performance.

Lord Filkin: Securing a sustained improvement in fine enforcement and increasing confidence in the criminal justice system are key government priorities. That is why back in June this year we announced a seven-point plan to secure the level of enforcement improvement required.
	The Department for Constitutional Affairs is taking forward a wide-ranging programme of change to deliver the seven-point plan. As part of this we have undertaken a review of the existing fine enforcement payment rate target to test whether it provides the right focus for those involved in enforcement activity and are now making changes.
	As well as criminal fines properly due, the existing target includes, among other things, civil payments and judicially remitted fines. We have now reviewed it so that the target is to collect a set proportion of fines which are properly due. This will provide a clearer focus for magistrates' courts committees and enable relative performance to be more easily assessed.
	The effect of the revised form of measurement is to change the existing target of 68 per cent. to a value of 75 per cent. Performance data under the new measure will first be available from January 2004 and information under both the old and the new measure will be available for at least the remainder of 2003–04. Performance in areas no longer captured by the payment rate target will be monitored and managed separately.
	Implementation of the overall fine enforcement programme will in time enable targets to be set at higher levels.

International Development: Financing

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their policy concerning the proposal to the G8 meeting held in June, by the President of Brazil, for a tax on international arms trading.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The IMF and World Bank are currently carrying out further work on all development financing mechanisms. This work will include all proposals for international taxes designed to generate additional development resources, including proposals for a tax on international arms trading. The IMF and World Bank have been asked to report to the development committee at the 2004 spring meetings, and to the IMFC at the 2004 annual meetings.
	The Government are committed to finding the most effective way of mobilising the additional development resources that are necessary if the Millennium Development Goals are to be met. This is why the UK has proposed an international finance facility.

World Heritage Sites

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will list the world heritage sites in the United Kingdom indicating, in respect of each, the date of designation and how much each world heritage site has received from UNESCO, the Government, the European Union and lottery funds respectively.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Information on the UK's world heritage sites and their date of designation is shown in the table. UNESCO does not contribute any funding towards these sites and information on government, European Union and lottery funding can only be provided at disproportionate cost. I will write separately to the noble Lord with a fuller explanation, and will arrange to place copies in the Libraries of both Houses.
	
		
			 World Heritage Site Date of Designation 
			 Durham Cathedral and Castle 1986 
			 Fountains Abbey, St Mary's Church and Studley Royal Park 1986 
			 Ironbridge Gorge 1986 
			 Stonehenge, Avebury and associated sites 1986 
			 Blenheim Palace and Park 1987 
			 Palace of Westminster, St Margaret's Church and Westminster Abbey 1987 
			 City of Bath 1987 
			 Hadrian's Wall 1987 
			 The Tower of London 1989 
			 Canterbury Cathedral (with St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church) 1988 
			 Castle and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd 1986 
			 St Kilda 1986 
			 Giant's Causeway and Causeway coast 1986 
			 Henderson Island, South Pacific Ocean 1986 
			 Edinburgh Old and New Towns 1996 
			 Gough Island Wildlife Reserve, South Atlantic Ocean 1996 
			 Maritime Greenwich 1997 
			 Heart of Neolithic Orkney 1999 
			 Historic Town of St George and Related Fortifications Bermuda 2000 
			 Blaenavon Industrial Landscape 2000 
			 Dorset and East Devon Coast 2001 
			 Derwent Valley Mills 2001 
			 New Lanark 2001 
			 Saltaire 2001 
			 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 2003

State Pension: Cost of Uprating

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their estimate of the net additional cost to the Exchequer in 2011–12, 2013–14 and 2015–16 if the basic state pension were increased in April 2006 by £7 for a single person and £11 for a couple and then increased annually in line with average earnings with no change in other relevant plans and policies; and how this compares with present projections.

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: We currently uprate the basic state pension by either 2.5 per cent or the retail prices index (RPI), whichever is higher, and will do so for the remainder of this Parliament. On this basis, we estimate that the basic state pension in 2011 will be £95.30 for single pensioners and £152.40 for pensioner couples.
	Increasing the basic state pension by £7 in 2006, and thereafter uprating by earnings, would result in single pensioners receiving £110.65 and pensioner couples, £176.60.
	Therefore, the net additional costs, for all pensioners, of increasing the basic state pension by £7 in 2006, and thereafter uprating by earnings, compared with uprating the basic state pension by the retail prices index, for the years 2011–12 to 2015–16, are as set out in the table.
	
		Net additional costs for all pensioners of increasing the basic state pension by £7 in 2006, and thereafter uprating by earnings, compared with uprating the basic state pension by the retail prices index, for the years 2011–12 to 2015–16
		
			 Year 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 
			 Net cost (£ billions) 4.5 5.2 5.9 6.6 7.4 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. All costs are rounded to the nearest £100 million and are in 2003–04 price terms.
	2. Gross costs are calculated by the Government Actuary's Department and are consistent with Budget 2003 assumptions.
	3. The net costs are calculated using the DWP policy simulation model for 2005–06. The net cost represents the cost after allowing for any offsetting savings in income-related benefits.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What were the numbers of cattle slaughtered as a result of bovine tuberculosis and how much compensation was paid to farmers in the years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and up to July 2003.

Lord Whitty: Table 1, below, shows the number of cattle slaughtered under bovine TB measures in Great Britain, from 1998 to 2002 and from January to June 2003. The data are taken from Defra's most recently published national statistics (data for July 2003 not yet available).
	Table 2 shows the amount of compensation paid to farmers in Great Britain for each financial year 1998–99 to 2002–03 and for April to July of this financial year.
	
		Table 1—Number of cattle slaughtered in Great Britain under Bovine TB control measures 1998–2003(1) 
		
			 Year No of cattle slaughtered 
			 1998 5,884 
			 1999 6,770 
			 2000 8,353 
			 2001 6,256 
			 2002 (2)22,981 
			 January–June 2003 (2)13,051 
		
	
	(1) TB reactors plus direct contacts.
	(2) Provisional data only.
	
		Table 2—Compensation paid to farmers in Great Britain as a result of Bovine Tuberculosis 1998–2003
		
			 Financial year Compensation (£,000) 
			 1998–99 3,491 
			 1999–2000 5,303 
			 2000–01 6,632 
			 2001–02 9,243 
			 2002–03 31,146 
			 April–July 2003 (2)8,254 
		
	
	(3) Provisional data only.
	Note:
	In 2001, the TB testing and control programme was largely suspended due to the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak. Since testing resumed in 2002, resources have been concentrated on herds with overdue TB tests which would have had a longer period in which to contract the disease. Also the proportion of high-risk herds being tested post-FMD is greater than that prior to the outbreak. As a result, the number of TB reactors identified and slaughtered in 2002 is not comparable to those identified and slaughtered in previous years.

Biofuels

Lord Carter: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What view they have formed of the potential ability of British agriculture to produce biodiesel and bioethanol from current crops and technology.

Lord Whitty: Biofuels offer an opportunity for diversification of agricultural activities and the development of new markets. Traditional technologies for producing biodiesel and bioethanol use crops including oilseed rape, suger beet and potatoes, which are well known to farmers and use the same crop management drivers as for food crops.
	In order to produce a significant percentage of the UK's fuel requirements, a large amount of land would need to be dedicated to biofuel crops. To meet the 5.75 per cent reference target for use of biofuels in the EU Biofuels Directive, if entirely provided from virgin crops ie excluding recycled oil or forestry by-products etc, would require up to 1 million hectares of land: about 10 per cent of available land. For UK farmers to produce fuel crops on this scale, the market return to the farmer would need to be sufficient to motivate diversion from production for established food and animal feed markets.

Biofuels

Lord Carter: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What actions they propose to enable the United Kingdom to meet the 2005 and 2010 European Union targets for biofuel use, 2 per cent and 5.75 per cent respectively.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The European Union's Biofuels Directive requires member states to set their own indicative targets for sales of biofuels to be met in the years 2005 and 2010. The Government will be consulting early next year on the level of targets that might be appropriate for the UK, and on the steps that we might take to meet them.

HW Points Machines

Earl Attlee: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the HW points machine is a safety critical component of a railway system; and
	Who is the design authority for the HW points machine; and
	Whether Network Rail maintains or has access to a complete and up-to-date set of engineering drawings of the HW points machine; and
	Whether HW points machines are overhauled or refurbished; if so, by whom; and whether that organisation has:
	(a) a complete and up-to-date set of engineering drawings of the HW points machine; and
	(b) a schedule of limits and fits for the machine, covering all components that they inspect, reject, retain or repair.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Network Rail advises that all points machines are subject to a rigorous product acceptance process which forms part of its railway safety case. Meeting the appropriate acceptance criteria is a matter for the relevant suppliers.

Public Sector: Efficiency Review

Lord Tomlinson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When there will be an efficiency review covering the public sector.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: My right honourable friend the Chancellor for the Exchequer announced an efficiency review of the public sector in his spring Budget speech (House of Commons Official Report, 9 April, col. 271-88). The review is being conducted by a joint team from the Cabinet Office and Her Majesty's Treasury.
	The Minister for the Cabinet Office, Mr Douglas Alexander, has today placed in the Libraries of the House copies of the consultation document Efficiency Review—Releasing Resources to the Front Line. The consultation seeks the views of a wide range of public sector employees and other interested parties to inform the review, with initial views requested by 21 November 2003. A more detailed consultation will be undertaken when specific proposals have been developed.